Liquid and gas contact apparatus



June 17, 1930. R. P. MASE l LIQUID AND GAS CONTACT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1928 wn-Ncss @QQ/(afford.

Patented -June I7, 1930 ROSCGE P. OF WILKINSBBG, IPENNSYLVA Y;

b :traum Ann Gas contraer .are f= application nei august a, iaaa sena; no. aaneen.

The invention relates to liquid and gas contact apparatus, and has particularly to do with towers through which liquid flows downwardly and gas upwardly, the liquid a' and gas being brought into contact with each for .the distillation of a liquid mixture 'oi hydrocarbons by bringing the liquid int-o contact with steam, to apparatus tor the fractionation of a mixture of hydrocarbons by bringing the liquid and vapor portions ofiit successively into intimate contact with each other under suitable temperature and pressure conditions, and to apparatus for humidifying or drying air or other gases by bring` ing a gas into contact with a liquid.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type .described whereby an increased number of contacts between a gas and liquid may be made without increasing the size of the tower, and whereby the contacts may be made in such a manner as to increase their effectiveness, and to consequently increase the eflciency of the apparatus.

vA more special object of the invention is to provide a tower of the above described character having basins disposed between its top and bottom which are so shaped andarranged that the gas and liquid flowing through the tower passes the various sectlons o the basins with a -substantially uniorm velocity. v f v The invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical central sectional view of a liquidand gas contact tower; Fig. 2 a vertical central sectional view of a detached portion of the apparatus illustrated to enlarged scale; Fig; 3 a transverse sectional view taken on the line III-III, Fig. 2; and` Fig. 4 a detached view of a detail of construction.

In the practice ot this invention there is provided a tower having a gas inlet and a liquid outlet at its bottom anda liquid inlet and a gas outlet at its top. Between the top and bottom ot the tower there are a plurality of liquid and gas contact units each comprising a transversely-extending liquid-con taining basin and a cover arranged above the basin. Between the basin and cover of each unit there are a plurality of vertically-dis @o posed bailies which cooperate with each other and with the basin and cover to cause gas to ow laterally in a circuitous path andmake a p plurality ot contacts with the liquid in the basin. For the dow ot liquid and gas e5 into and from each unit, and from one to another ot the several units, each unitis provided with'passages odset with relation to each other for the dow of gas into and from the unit, and means areprovided or conducting the liquid from a predetermined level in each unit downwardly to a lower unit.

Havingreference rst ,to Fig. l, a vertical v tower havin a side wall 1, which is prefto erably cylindrical, a top 2 and a bottom 3, is vprovided near its bottom with a gas inlet 4 and at its top with a gas outlet 5. ln its upper portionthe tower is also provided with a liquid inlet 6, and near its bottoni ao with a' liquid outlet 7. rihe tower'may be,

and preferably is, constructed of metal plates which may be suitably welded. or otherwise connected at their joints.

Arranged intermediate of its ends, the 8,5 l

tower is provided with a plurality o liquid and gas contact units, the preferred construe. l tion of which is illustrated to enlarged scale in Figs. 2 and 3. Each unit comprisesa basin 10 and a cover 1l, the basin being rovidedfao y with a gas inlet 12, which, althoug it may be otherwise disposed, is preferably, at the center ofthe basin. Preferably the basin inl clines upwardly in la concave form from its` inlet 12 to its outer edge where it is welded, '95."5l p l or otherwise connected and sealed, to the vertical wall l of the tower. of the unit is ypreferably of convex form, and extends over gas inlet'12 in such a manv ner asv to cause the-gas to. [low laterally in 10o .gv

The cover 1l or base 10 of the neXt lower unit.

a manner presently to be explained in detail, the gas escaping from the unit through an annular passage 13 formed between the edge of cover 11 and tower wall 1.

By constructing the contact units in the manner shown in the drawing, that is with the basins having an interior concave shape and the covers having an exterior convex shape rather than being of flat form, their load supporting strength is considerably increased. At the same time, due to the curvature of the basins there will be no excess of liquid around their outer portions unnecessarily loading them down and at the same time unduly increasing the amount oi liquid contained by the tower under working conditions. By using convex covers for each unit, the liquid overdow from the unit may be edected above the exterior edge of the cover or gas outlet without necessitating it being raised to a level which will completely inundate the cover. Consequently, with the basins and covers so formed their liquid load is comparatively small. Further, acurved plate is capable of carrying several times the load'of this character as a fiat plate. Hence they may accordingly be made out oi much thinner material than would be necessary it they were dat.

lwo sets ot baera are arranged between the gas inlet 12 and outlet 13 of each unit. lVhile the number of battles may vary depending upon the number of contacts' of gas and liquid it is desired to edect in each unit, the bafdes oi one setare positioned rather delinitely with relation to those or the other, As illustrated, one set of baos comprises cylinders or aprons 15, 16, 17 and 18 which extend downwardly fromcover 11, their upper edges being welded, or otherwise connected and sealed, to the cover. rThe lower edges of these baffles are preferably of serrated or other irregular form to cause the gas flowing underneath them to be broken up into a large number of small streams. The second set of baffles are arranged between the elements of the first set, and comprises intermediate cylinders :20, 21, 22 and 23, which may be connected to and supported by the first set of baliles by brackets 25. Functioning somewhat as the intermediate balles 20, 21, 22 and 23, there is a cylinder 24 extending upwardly from the gas inlet 12 to a point above the lower edge of bae 15.

For conducting liquid downwardly from one unit to another, a tube 26 extends from a point somewhat above gas outlet 13 oi each unit downwardly to a point near the bottom Each tube is preferably closed at its bottom, and an odset 27 is formed in the side at the lower end thereof to which a one-way gate or check valve 28 is pivotally attached. Accordingly, the downward flow of liquid from one unit to another' is conveniently effected, but gas is moana? prevented from flowing upwardly through the tubes. 'lhe provision of such valve becomes especially important when, because of abnormal operating conditions, the supply of liquid to the apparatus is interrupted for a period long enough for one or more of the basins to become drained, and the supply of liquid then resumed. lf it were not for the check valves in tubes 26, the gas passing upwardly would pass through tubes 26 between the empty units and prevent the liquid from owing ownwardly therethrough, and consequently cause the tower to become Hooded when liquid supply is resumed.

.'lhe upper edge of each tube marks the level to which the li uid must rise at the edge of each unit to ow downwardly to a lower unit, and, as illustrated,lthe tubes are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the tower between adjacent pairs of basins to further the circulation 'of the liquid. lf desired, the bottom of each basin may be prou vided with a small hole '29 near its lowest point forming an auxiliary outlet i'or the liquid whereby the basins may be conveniently emptied in case the liquid is shut od. rll`hese auxiliary outlets particularly serve to remove water from the low portion of the plate when oil or other lighter than water liquid is the principal scrubbing liquid or reilun.,

l'lhere will now be explained the preferred arrangement and disposition of the two sets of baffles to edect a plurality of contacts of a gas withv a liquid as they pass through a unit. rl`he lower edge of baille 15 is below the upper edge of cylinder 24C, and the lower edge of baos 16, 17 and 18 are at successively higher levels than the lower edge of baille 15. The lower edge of intermediate bao 2() is below the lower edge of bae 15 to prevent the gas from flowing under it, and the upper edge or bae 20 is above the lower edge of bael. intermediate baihes 21 and 22 are similarly disposed between their adjacent depending battles 16, 17 and 18, and the lower edge of baille 23 is below the lower edge of bafde 18.v Gas entering a unit through its inlet 12 passes upwardly around the up per edge of cylinder 24, and then downwardly below the lower edge of bale 15, depressing the liquid between the cylinder 2d and baille 15 substantially to the level of the lower edge of baille 15. rl'he gas then passes upwardly around the upper edge of bame 2O and ldownwardly below the lower edge of baie 16 depressing the liquid in this chamber to substantially the level of the lower edge of baffle 16. ln a similar manner gas ows through the successive annular chambers, depreing the liquid as explained, the gas flowing in the circuitous path generally indicated by the dash. line 35 at the left of Fig. 2. This flow of gas causes quite a violent agitation and splashing of the liquid, bringing it into effective contact with the gas, and causing portions of it to flow in the general continuous and circuitous cycle indicated by the dash irregular line 36 at the right of the central unit of Fig. 2, the general cycle of flow of the liquid being shown only on opposite sides oi a unit to lavoid confusion. At its edge, cover 11 is of serrated or other irregular form to cause the gas flowing around it to be broken up into a large number of small streams.

To ee'ct maximum eciency, the cross sectional area for the How of gas in its cirouitous path'4 laterally through a unit is preierably substantially uniform. To this end the radial spacing ot the several `baiiies diminishes from the center of a unit outwardly, the increased peripheral extent oi each passage from the center of a unit outwardly compensating for the diminished radial 'spacing.. With this arrangement oi baos the liquid and' gas in successive radial passages Aare spread in increasing attenuated layers from the center ot' a' unit outwardly, and accordingly in one chamber or another there is a maximum contact eciency for any rate oi liow within quite a wide range ot variation.

ln the operation of the apparatus, assuming that it be tor the absotion of gasoline from natural gas,` an `absoring menstruum 'of relatively heavy hydrofcarn" or' other 30 liquid-continuously ows into tower l through its liquid inlet 6, and is continuously withdrawn from it through itsliquid outlet 7 at its bottom. This liquid continuously ows downwardl from one vt to another through tu es 26, which, between successive pair of units, are arranged on opposite sides of the tower so that the liquid, or the main body of it, in order to dow from one unit to another passes from one to the other side oit a unit. `During this downward dow ot liquid, gas dows upwardly through the successive units, the line ol dow in each unit etecting a pluralit of contacts as shown by the dot-and-dash 'ne 3d on lllig. 2.v ln this as way each successive unit brings the gas into a plurality of contacts with the liquid, so that an 'edective absorption el gasoline from the gas is attained by the time the liquid reaches the bottom of the tower,

'lhe same procedure is followed in the distillation ot a mixture ot petroleum or other hydro=-oarbons the liquid mixture to be distilled entering the tower through its liquid inlet o, and a entering the tower through gas inlet d. en the apparatus vis so used,

operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what l now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, l desire to have it understood that, within the scope ol the appended claim, lthe invention may be practiced otherwise than by the particular apparatus specically shown and described..

l claim as y invention: l

A liquid and gas ctmtact` apparatus'com prising a tower having a gas inlet and a liq- 'uid outlet at its bottom, and a liquid inlet and a gas outlet at its top; a plurality of contact units arranged between the top and bottom of the tower each comprising a transversely-extending, interiorly coneaved liquid containing basin,'an enteriorly 'convert cover havin a serrated edge, a plurality ot vertically disposed baos arranged between and cooperating with the basin and cover, alternate battles being serrated at their lower edges and arranged to permit the gas to dow below their lower edges, and the interlull mediate baes being positioned to prevent the gas dowing under their lower edges but permitting it to dow above them, whereby the gas is caused to malte a plurality ot contacts with the liquid in the said tot baes `forming a circuitous passage oit' sub- Stantially uniform' cross sectional area throughout lor the lateral tlow ci' gas; each basin being provided with centrally located gas inlet, and each cover having a gas outit@ let at its esterioredge, and means 'lor conducting liquid from a predetermined level above the outer edge below the centrally raised portion ot the, cover in each unit downwardly into a lower unit, said con- 3115 ducting means being provided. with a check valve lor preventing gas from dowing up wardly through it. l

ln testiony whereof, l sign my name.,

RSCE P. MASH the distillation takes Aplace much in the same manner as in other tower apparatus for this purpose, except that in t apparatus the distillation is more.eiiicientlyv done by a unit t0 volume oi tower by reason of the plurality of contacts of liquid and gas edected in eac unit.

en the tower is used as a ractionating column the liquid redux travels downward- @5 ly, and the vapors, entering the gas inlet 

